The story of England

¶ Exe pungna inter Brytones & Romanos qui de nocte eos precesserunt.

Als þey were busched [bussed.] redy to byker, Come Arthures men, wend haue be [haf bien.] siker; Natheles, ȝit hadde þey doute, Line 13,153 Þer-fore þey dide sondre þer route: Sire Borel & Erl Cadore, Wyþ þer folk riden byfore; Line 13,156 Sire Beduer & þe Erl Richer, Þyse were þe prisons ner; Wyþ hem come men fif hundred, [sis cent, Wace, ii. l. 12,542.] Þat fro þe prisons were nought sundred. Line 13,160 On Borel & Cador þat formest went, Þe Romayns a-side [sideslepis.] on hem glent, & ffelonly on þem gan strike, & þey defended hem doughtilyke. Line 13,164

Line 13,164 Sire Richer saw, & Beduer herde, Þat þer enemis þer weyes [þat wikked men þe way.] sperde, & wyþ þer felawes faste gon fight,— . Armed men wiþ swerdes bryght;— Line 13,168 Þey dide þer [he did.] [Petyt folio 76b:1] prisons þer wyþstande, Þe mene men toke þem on hande, In siker [saufe.] stede wiþ hem to byde Til more sykernesse myghte bityde. Line 13,172 Wiþ haste [spors.] ilk man tok his stede To helpe þer felawes in þer nede; Þenne by-gonne Bretons to bolden, . & here partie wel vp holden. Line 13,176 Þe Romayns ronne a-mong þe Bretons To seke after þer prisons; Þe Bretons to slo, tente [tentid.] þey nought, But hider & þyder [here & þare.] þe prisons sought; Line 13,180 & while þey ȝede aboute to seke, Þey ne spedde nought worþ a leke, ffor mykel of þer folk þey les Als þey soughten in þe pres. [sought about with res.] Line 13,184 Þe Bretons hollyk to-gyder riden, At þeir assautes to-gydere byden, To-gyder wente, to-gydere camen, [P. leaves out this line.] . In alle stedes were þey samen; [P. leaves out this line.] Line 13,188 ffor þey to-gydere so wel held, [Lambeth folio 56b:1] Þey slowe þe Romay[n]s doun in [lay many romayn in þe.] feld; In foures [foure.] routes þe Bretons hem set, . Þe sykerer [sarer.] wiþ þe Romayns þey met; Line 13,192 Sire Cador wyþ þe Cornewaleys, [his Cornwales.] Sire Beduer wyþ his Herupeys, [Dwellers in the south of the town of Paris, from the little river Bicvre: De Lincy, Wace, ii. 183.]

Sire Borel & sire Richer, Ilkon hadde þer bataille [batailes.] ser. Line 13,196 Þe Romayns al aboute wond; [wend.] ffaste þey lore, & nought ne fond. [les & nouht fand.]